Wild American Shrimp in Tomato Compote

Wild American Shrimp in Tomato Compote By Charlie Burke www.theheartofnewengland.com

In my family shrimp was a sign of a special occasion – New Year’s Eve or some other holiday. Shrimp was expensive and its salty sweet flavor was memorable. We had a dear friend in Maine who loved lobster, and she and her husband frequently shared a lobster dinner. Whenever she had guests, however, she always served shrimp cocktail as an appetizer, which, to her, was the only way to start a special meal.

In the last twenty years, shrimp has been raised in farms in the third world. Mangroves, which are breeding grounds for shrimp and other species have been destroyed and replaced with ponds for farm raised shrimp which pollute surrounding waters. These farm raised shrimp are now in all our markets and, like Wall Mart pricing, have driven down the prices of legitimately fished wild shrimp and have endangered the livelihood of fishermen. Sadly, these farms are polluted and diseases in the shrimp have resulted in the use of many dangerous antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol which is banned in this country because it causes aplastic anemia. For these reasons, Seafood Watch (seafoodwatch.org) has said that wild American shrimp are best, and imported farmed shrimp should be “avoided”. We found a bag of beautiful wild American shrimp in our local market, and the taste was clearly better than the muddy taste of farmed shrimp we have been served in the past.

Usually, I sauté shrimp, but for this preparation, I made a tomato reduction with lemon, shallots and olive oil and then cooked the shrimp in this mix. The light acidic taste of this “compote” complements the shrimp’s sweetness in a healthy low calorie dish which is full of flavor. I served it on whole grain Udon pasta which is made from durham wheat and is rich in fiber and is heart healthy.

Two servings:

12 large wild American shrimp (U 21-25 or larger), shelled and de veined ¾ cup home canned or commercial tomatoes, such as Muir Glen organic tomatoes 1 medium shallot, finely chopped (1 ½ - 2 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc 2 thin slices of lemon ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional) Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, and, when the oil shimmers, add shallots and cook until soft but not browned. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon slices, marjoram and cayenne. Cook, stirring until tomato liquid evaporates and sauce thickens. Add white wine and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated. Lightly salt and pepper shrimp and cook until just opaque. Taste sauce, adding salt and pepper if needed and a small amount of additional olive oil if too acidic. Serve immediately with rice, couscous or pasta and vegetables or salad. Serve with the Sauvignon Blanc or similar dry white wine.

Avoid the temptation to buy farmed shrimp. The conditions under which they are raised are environmentally unsound, and the shrimp pose a potential health hazard to your family. By paying a little extra, you not only get a safer and better tasting product but also support hard working American fishermen who harvest shrimp using environmentally sound practices.